Windows Hosting vs Linux Hosting - Which Best For You

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Windows Hosting vs Linux Hosting
In this article, we will share with you Windows Hosting vs Linux Hosting - Which Best For You.

Windows Hosting vs Linux Hosting

In this article, we will share with you Windows Hosting vs Linux Hosting - Which Best For You.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of web hosting companies out there. Many of these companies offer both Windows hosting and Linux hosting plans.

Windows plans usually cost more because of the license costs imposed by Microsoft. Knowing this, how can you know when you need Windows hosting and when Linux hosting will work just as well or better? Keep reading to find out.

Windows operating systems are found on something like 95% of all personal computers in the world. With such a total dominance, Microsoft Windows is top of mind to most new people looking for web hosting.

In the webserver world though, Windows-based servers are behind less than 20% of all websites on the internet. This is according to the latest web server survey from securityspace.com. By choosing a Linux hosting plan, you will find yourself in good company.

When do you have to use Windows Hosting?

.NET technologies including ASP.net are not available on Linux platforms. If you have a website built with Microsoft .NET technologies you will have to choose a Windows hosting plan. In fact, if you need ASP without .NET features, most Linux hosting plans do not offer support for it.

Access Databases are only available with a Windows hosting plan. Access runs on a Microsoft Windows platform and cannot run on a Linux Operating system.

MsSQL is an enterprise-class database put out by Microsoft. If you need an enterprise-class database there are some alternatives that run on a Linux platform but if you need Microsoft's MSSQL database, a Windows hosting plan will have to be your choice.

What is the advantage of choosing Linux Hosting?

All the major services you need to run an enterprise-class website are available on Linux based systems for free. Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP are being used together to provide the infrastructure behind some of the most traffic-intensive sites on the internet.

PHP runs better on a Linux server than on a Windows server. Having said that, unless you are putting a heavy load on your PHP scripts, this will not be noticeable.

In general, Linux hosting plans are at least 20% cheaper than Windows hosting plans. If you don't need any of the features mentioned above, Linux hosting is a fine choice for your needs.